Multi-layered cushioning support

ABSTRACT

Multi-layer cushion supports are described which may generally comprise a first support having a first contact surface for contacting a portion of a body and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first support defining a central chamber and a peripheral chamber surrounding the central chamber, wherein the first support is filled with a first gas or liquid and a second support attached to the first support along the first contact surface. The second support may be filled with a second gas or liquid which is relatively more viscous than the first gas or liquid. In particular, the first support may be filled with a volume of air and the second support may be filled with oil which is less than the volume of air.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices and methods for supportingportions of a patient's body such as for preventing and/or treatingpressure ulcers. More particularly, the present invention relates todevices and methods for supporting portions of a patient's body such asfor preventing and treating pressure ulcers with cushioning supportshaving multiple layers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Individuals who are forced to sit or lie down for extended periods oftime typically experience tissue necrosis over localized regions oftheir body known as decubitus ulcers or pressure sores. Pressure ulcersgenerally occur at locations of the body where the bony prominence ishigh and the underlying skin breaks down when constant pressure isplaced against the skin. Blood circulation is inhibited or prevented inthese localized areas and can even occur when the patient has been lyingagainst or upon cushioning devices. Examples of areas of the body wherepressure sores typically occur include the sacrum, greater trochanter,ischial tuberosity, malleolus, heel, etc. When pressure ulcers form,they can lead to extensive stays in the hospital or even to amputation.

Conventional cushioning devices generally utilize flexible materialssuch as foam or springs which allow for the cushion to deform andconform to the patient's body. While the cushioning device attempts toredistribute the loading from localized regions of the patient's body toa larger area over the rest of the body, such devices typically bottomout such that the patient's body contacts the underlying platform andnonetheless localizes the pressure onto the body.

Other cushioning devices have utilized fluid-filled cushions whichconsist of large single bladders or compartmentalized fluid orgas-filled bladders which inhibit fluid contained within the bladdersfrom flowing laterally. In a fluid filled bladder disposed on acontoured seat, the fluid filled bladder typically bottoms out in one ormore areas when supporting a patient's body weight. The places where thebladder bottoms out are sources of high localized pressure. Thus, suchan assembly does not distribute pressure evenly across the portions ofthe anatomy in contact with the bladder. The amount of water that isused in such a bladder can be increased such that bottoming out does notoccur. However, this design sacrifices stability. Additionally, sincesuch cushions are typically designed to accommodate a wide range ofpatient populations, patients who are not as heavy as the maximum forwhich the cushion was designed for will suffer even more lack ofstability than would be needed.

Another problem with simply increasing the amount of fluid to preventbottoming out is that this requires significant volume of fluid beneaththe patient and/or require specialized bedding. Additionally, many fluidfilled membranes are too thick to provide adequate pressure reliefbecause the hammocking that occurs in the regions of high protrusions.Thus, the suspension of the patient's body typically results insignificantly non-uniform pressure application, with higher pressuresbeing applied to protruding portions of the patient's body due to lackof adequate conformance of the bladder material to the patient's body.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a cushioning device which mayconform to regions of the patient's body to prevent decubitis ulcers ina manner which is more cost efficient, convenient, and effective.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A conformable support assembly may be configured to conform toparticular regions of a patient's body where pressure ulcers tend toform, e.g., sacrum, trochanter, ischium, head, elbow, heel, as well asany other region of the body where support is desired. Such support isparticularly desired when the patient sits, lies, or stands for anextended period of time such as sitting in a wheelchair.

In one variation, the multi-layer cushion support may generally comprisea first support having a first contact surface for contacting a portionof a body and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the firstsupport defining a central chamber and a peripheral chamber surroundingthe central chamber, wherein the first support is filled with a firstgas or liquid and a second support attached to the first support alongthe first contact surface, wherein the second support is filled with asecond gas or liquid which is relatively more viscous than the first gasor liquid. In particular, the first support may be filled with a volumeof air and the second support may be filled with oil which is less thanthe volume of air.

Generally in use, the multi-layer cushion support may be used to supporta portion of a patient's body by providing a multi-layer cushion supportcomprising a first support having a first contact surface and a secondsurface opposite to the first surface where the first support defines acentral chamber and a peripheral chamber surrounding the centralchamber, and a second support attached to the first support along thefirst contact surface, wherein the first support is filled with a firstgas or liquid and the second support is filled with a second gas orliquid which is relatively more viscous than the first gas or liquid andpositioning the second support adjacent to the portion of the body.

Various features which may be incorporated or included into the supportassemblies described herein may be seen in further detail in thefollowing U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/189,320 filed Jul. 22,2011 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0019873); Ser. No. 13/407,628 filed Feb. 28, 2012(U.S. Pub. 2013/0019881); Ser. No. 13/683,198 filed Nov. 21, 2012 (U.S.Pub. 2013/0112213); Ser. No. 13/693,691 filed Dec. 4, 2012 (U.S. Pub.2013/0092175); Ser. No. 13/760,482 filed Feb. 6, 2013 (U.S. Pub.2013/0180530); Ser. No. 13/784,035 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub.2013/0180531); Ser. No. 13/784,133 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub.2013/0174855); Ser. No. 13/784,215 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub.2013/0174856); Ser. No. 13/784,260 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub.2013/0174859); Ser. No. 13/945,684 filed Jul. 18, 2013 (U.S. Pub.2013/0298918); Ser. No. 13/065,877 filed Mar. 30, 2011 (U.S. Pub.2011/0239372); and Ser. No. 13/973,840 filed Aug. 22, 2013. Each ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for anypurpose herein.

A cushion support may have a multi-layered cushioning support containedwithin an enveloping cover. The multi-layered cushioning support maygenerally comprise several interconnected chambers configured to have acentral support region and a surrounding support region which are influid communication with one another. The multi-layered support may beoptionally filled with a gas (such as air) or liquid (such as water ormineral oil) or a combination of both. The multi-layered support mayalso be sized in various dimensions suitable for placement under apatient body, e.g., 18 in.×20 in. for use as a cushion such as on awheelchair. The multi-layered support may also incorporate a relativelysmaller secondary chamber formed by an additional layer attached (suchas by welding) upon the surface of the central support region such thatthe region surrounds this secondary chamber. The secondary chamber maybe filled by a volume of liquid, such as mineral oil, which isrelatively more viscous than the gas or liquid filled within the centralsupport region or surrounding support region. Moreover, this secondarychamber may remain fluidly disconnected from the central support regionand the surrounding support region.

A cushioning foam layer may be positioned adjacent to the supportprovided that this cushioning foam layer is positioned along a bottomsurface of the support, i.e., along a surface of the support oppositefrom the secondary chamber. This is to allow for the multi-layeredsupport and secondary chamber to come into direct contact against thepatient's body without any other materials interfering (aside from thecover). The cushioning foam layer may be comprised of, e.g., differentdensity polyurethane foams, which can be fabricated into different sizesand thicknesses (e.g., 17 in.×19 in.×0.5 in.) depending upon the desiredapplication. The foam layer can be alternatively replaced by othercushioning designs such as a gel-type material, biasing springs, etc.

The cover may envelope both the multi-layer support and the foam layerand may also be fabricated from various materials which can bebreathable and waterproof. The surface of the cover may also be made tohave, e.g., an anti-skid surface, over its entire surface or alongselective surfaces such as the bottom surface in contact with aplatform. The cover may be sized (e.g., 18 in.×20 in.×1.5 in.) similarlyto the multi-layer support and foam layer which may both be insertedinto the cover through an opening defined along one of the edges of thecover. Additionally, while the individual layers may be maintained intheir relative positioning by various mechanisms such as straps,fasteners, adhesives, etc., their relative positioning may also bemaintained by the cover. Also, while the cover may be placed atop thesecondary chamber for direct contact against the patient's body, thecover is sufficiently thin enough so as not to interfere with thecushioning support provided the layers.

The cushioning foam layer is positioned along a bottom surface of thesupport, i.e., along a surface of the support opposite from thesecondary chamber, so that the secondary chamber and multi-layer supportmay be positioned into direct contact through the cover, if present,against the patient's body. Having the secondary chamber of the supportplaced into contact against the patient's body allows for effectivepressure distribution throughout the support while the foam positionedbeneath the support (i.e., along the surface of the support opposite ofthe secondary chamber and away from the patient's body) provides forfurther cushioning support of the patient's body.

However, other variations of the cushioning support may include oneexample where the foam layer may be positioned atop the multi-layersupport. In this variation, the foam layer may be positioned along thesame surface of the secondary chamber such that the foam layer comesinto contact through the cover with the patient's body.

Turning now to the multi-layer support, the secondary chamber may beformed atop the support via attachment along its edges which may bewelded, adhered, or otherwise attached. While the secondary chamber mayform a single chamber, one or more barriers or boundaries may be formedalong the secondary chamber at least partially dividing the secondarychamber into one or more sub-chambers which are fluidly connected to oneanother. The inclusion of the barriers or boundaries may effectivelyslow or inhibit the flow of any fluids contained within the secondarychamber from shifting to quickly such as when the patient adjusts theirbody position upon the support.

Moreover, the secondary chamber may be formed to have an overall volumeof, e.g., 0.6 liters, although this volume may be decreased or increaseddepending upon the desired results and the type of liquid containedwithin the chamber. This variation may contain, e.g., 0.6 liters ofmineral oil, as the oil may help in reducing the pressure in combinationwith an underlying air layer contained within the remaining chamber ofthe support. When in use, the oil layer within the chamber may becradled by the underlying air chamber to prevent any potential “edgeeffects” associated with fluid interfaces. Moreover, the inclusion ofthe oil layer within the chamber may also facilitate the delivery ofcooling or heating therapy against the patient body as oil may be cooledor heated by any number of passive or active methods.

Variations of the multi-layered support described herein may be used forsupporting other regions of the body. For instance, an embodiment forsupportive use of the patient's heels may similarly utilize the samefeatures. Such a variation may be designed to have dimensions scaledappropriately for supporting a heel (e.g., 10 to 13 in. width, 28 to 35in. length, and 2 to 8 in. height) such that the support may bepositioned below the calf when the patient is lying upon a bed so thatthe heel is lifted off the surface of the bed. The heel protector canalso be designed to have an incline to give a gentle slope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a cushioning support assembly havinga foam layer and a multi-layered support enclosed within a covering.

FIG. 1B shows an exploded assembly view of the individual foam layer andmulti-layered support where the foam layer is positioned along thebottom surface of the multi-layered support or along the surface of themulti-layered support opposite to the contact surface.

FIG. 2A shows an exploded assembly view of another variation where thefoam layer is positioned upon the top surface or contact surface of themulti-layered support.

FIG. 2B shows an exploded assembly view of yet another variation where afirst foam layer is positioned upon the top surface or contact surfaceas well as the bottom surface of the multi-layered support.

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the multi-layered support.

FIG. 3B shows an exploded assembly view of the individual layers formingthe multi-layered support.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show top and bottom views, respectively, of themulti-layered support.

FIG. 5 shows a chart illustrating experimental results comparingpressure measurements with variations of the multi-layered support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Generally, in a healthy individual, the presence of muscle mass and softtissue usually functions to distribute and relieve pressure from bonyprotuberances of the body contacted against the underlying surface.However, when a patient is forced to lie on one portion of their bodyfor extended periods of time, areas such as the sacrum or trochanter (orother portions of the body such as the heel, elbow, head, etc.) maycompress a region of the skin and tissue between the protuberance and acontact region formed against the underlying surface.

A support assembly may be worn or used to support an individual who maybe immobilized, e.g., such as sitting in a wheelchair, for extendedperiods of time to prevent the formation of pressure ulcers. Such asupport assembly may be placed against and/or beneath particular regionsof the body where pressure ulcers tend to form, e.g., sacrum,trochanter, ischium, head, elbow, heel, as well as any other region ofthe body where support is desired. Various features which may beincorporated or included into the support assemblies described hereinmay be seen in further detail in the following U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/189,320 filed Jul. 22, 2011 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0019873); Ser.No. 13/407,628 filed Feb. 28, 2012 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0019881); Ser. No.13/683,198 filed Nov. 21, 2012 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0112213); Ser. No.13/693,691 filed Dec. 4, 2012 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0092175); Ser. No.13/760,482 filed Feb. 6, 2013 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0180530); Ser. No.13/784,035 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0180531); Ser. No.13/784,133 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0174855); Ser. No.13/784,215 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0174856); Ser. No.13/784,260 filed Mar. 4, 2013 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0174859); Ser. No.13/945,684 filed Jul. 18, 2013 (U.S. Pub. 2013/0298918); Ser. No.13/065,877 filed Mar. 30, 2011 (U.S. Pub. 2011/0239372); and Ser. No.13/973,840 filed Aug. 22, 2013. Each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety and for any purpose herein.

One example of a supporting cushion is shown in the perspective view ofFIG. 1A, which illustrates a cushion support 10 having a multi-layeredcushioning support 14 contained within an enveloping cover 12. FIG. 1Bshows an exploded assembly view of the multi-layered cushioning support14 (described in further detail below) which may generally compriseseveral interconnected chambers configured to have a central supportregion and a surrounding support region 20 which are in fluidcommunication with one another. The multi-layered support 14 may beoptionally filled with a gas (such as air) or liquid (such as water ormineral oil) or a combination of both. The multi-layered support 14 mayalso be sized in various dimensions suitable for placement under apatient body, e.g., 18 in.×20 in. for use as a cushion such as on awheelchair. The multi-layered support 14 may also incorporate arelatively smaller secondary chamber 18 formed by an additional layerattached (such as by welding) upon the surface of the central supportregion 20 such that the region 20 surrounds this secondary chamber 18.The secondary chamber 18 may be filled by a volume of liquid, such asmineral oil, which is relatively more viscous than the gas or liquidfilled within the central support region or surrounding support region20. Moreover, this secondary chamber 18 may remain fluidly disconnectedfrom the central support region and the surrounding support region 20.

Aside from the multi-layered support 14, an additional cushioning foamlayer 16 may be positioned adjacent to the support 14 provided that thiscushioning foam layer 16 is positioned along a bottom surface of thesupport 14, i.e., along a surface of the support 14 opposite from thesecondary chamber 18. This is to allow for the multi-layered support 14and secondary chamber 18 to come into direct contact against thepatient's body without any other materials interfering (aside from thecover 12). The cushioning foam layer 16 may be comprised of, e.g.,different density polyurethane foams, which can be fabricated intodifferent sizes and thicknesses (e.g., 17 in.×19 in.×0.5 in.) dependingupon the desired application. The foam layer 16 can be alternativelyreplaced by other cushioning designs such as a gel-type material,biasing springs, etc.

The cover 12 may envelope both the multi-layer support 14 and the foamlayer 16 and may also be fabricated from various materials which can bebreathable and waterproof. The surface of the cover 12 may also be madeto have, e.g., an anti-skid surface, over its entire surface or alongselective surfaces such as the bottom surface in contact with aplatform. The cover 12 may be sized (e.g., 18 in.×20 in.×1.5 in.)similarly to the multi-layer support 14 and foam layer 16 which may bothbe inserted into the cover 12 through an opening defined along one ofthe edges of the cover 12. Additionally, while the individual layers 14,16 may be maintained in their relative positioning by various mechanismssuch as straps, fasteners, adhesives, etc., their relative positioningmay also be maintained by the cover 12. Also, while the cover 12 may beplaced atop the secondary chamber 18 for direct contact against thepatient's body, the cover 12 is sufficiently thin enough so as not tointerfere with the cushioning support provided the layers 14, 16.

As previously discussed, the cushioning foam layer 16 is positionedalong a bottom surface of the support 14, i.e., along a surface of thesupport 14 opposite from the secondary chamber 18, as shown in FIG. 1B,so that the secondary chamber 18 and multi-layer support 14 may bepositioned into direct contact through the cover 12, if present, againstthe patient's body. Having the secondary chamber 18 of the support 14placed into contact against the patient's body allows for effectivepressure distribution throughout the support 14 while the foam 16positioned beneath the support 14 (i.e., along the surface of thesupport 14 opposite of the secondary chamber 18 and away from thepatient's body) provides for further cushioning support of the patient'sbody.

However, other variations of the cushioning support may include oneexample where the foam layer 16 may be positioned atop the multi-layersupport 14, as shown in the exploded assembly view of FIG. 2A. In thisvariation, the foam layer 16 may be positioned along the same surface ofthe secondary chamber 18 such that the foam layer 16 comes into contactthrough the cover 12 with the patient's body. Another variation is shownin the exploded assembly view of FIG. 2B which is similar to thevariation of FIG. 2A but with the addition of a second foam layer 16′positioned beneath the multi-layer support 14. In this case, the foamlayer 16 and second foam layer 16′ may be fabricated from the same ordifferent materials and may be configured into the same or differentdimensions depending upon the desired results.

Turning now to the multi-layer support 14, a perspective view of onevariation of the support is shown in FIG. 3A and an exploded assemblyview of the individual layers forming the multi-layered support 14 isshown FIG. 3B. The secondary chamber 18 may be formed atop the support14 via attachment along its edges 30 which may be welded, adhered, orotherwise attached. While the secondary chamber 18 may form a singlechamber, one or more barriers or boundaries 32 may be formed along thesecondary chamber 18 at least partially dividing the secondary chamber18 into one or more sub-chambers which are fluidly connected to oneanother. The inclusion of the barriers or boundaries 32 may effectivelyslow or inhibit the flow of any fluids contained within the secondarychamber 18 from shifting to quickly such as when the patient adjuststheir body position upon the support 14. The example shown in FIG. 3Aillustrates a variation where the two barriers or boundaries 32 areformed in parallel along the secondary chamber 18 although in othervariations, fewer than or more than two barriers or boundaries 32 may beformed in parallel configurations or various other configurations.

Moreover, the secondary chamber 18 may be formed to have an overallvolume of, e.g., 0.6 liters, although this volume may be decreased orincreased depending upon the desired results and the type of liquidcontained within the chamber 18. This volume held within the secondarychamber 18 is less than the volume in the underlying support 14. Thisvariation may contain, e.g., 0.6 liters of mineral oil, as the oil mayhelp in reducing the pressure in combination with an underlying airlayer contained within the remaining chamber of the support 14. When inuse, the oil layer within the chamber 18 may be cradled by theunderlying air chamber to prevent any potential “edge effects”associated with fluid interfaces. Moreover, the inclusion of the oillayer within the chamber 18 may also facilitate the delivery of coolingor heating therapy against the patient body as oil may be cooled orheated by any number of passive or active methods. Additionally and/oralternatively, the air within the remaining chamber may also be cooledor heated by any number of methods as well. However, because oil has arelatively higher specific heat than air, the oil layer within thechamber 18 may retain heat for longer periods of time.

As shown in the exploded assembly view of FIG. 3B, each of theindividual layers forming the multi-layered support 14 may be seen. Afirst layer 50 forming the top layer of the secondary chamber 18 may beformed as a sheet having a thickness (e.g., 0.020 in.) made from variouspolymeric materials, e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The first layer 50may be formed to have various dimensions (e.g., 13 in.×12 in.) which areshorter than the second layer 52 upon which the first layer 50 may beattached. The second layer 50 and third layer 54 may also be formed assheets having a thickness (e.g., 0.010 in.) similarly made from variouspolymeric materials such as PVC. Each of the layers 52, 54 may besimilarly sized to have various dimensions (e.g., 20 in.×18 in.) and maybe attached to one another along seams formed around the periphery ofthe layers 52, 54 as well as along various locations between the sheets.However, while the second and third layers 52, 54 are attached to oneanother, the first layer 50 may remain attached only to the underlyingsecond layer 52.

The top and bottom views of the multi-layer support 14 are shown infurther detail in respective FIGS. 4A and 4B. As illustrated in FIG. 4A,while the first layer 50 may be welded or otherwise attached to thesecond layer 52 around the periphery of the first layer 50 alongattachment 30, the formation of the barriers or boundaries 32 may alsobe seen formed between the first layer 50 and second layer 52. Aspreviously described, the barriers or boundaries 32 may be formed atleast partially between the respective layers 50, 52 such that fluidpassageways 34 are formed between each of the sub-chambers to allow forthe passage of fluid throughout the secondary chamber 18. The fluidpassageways 34 may be formed to have a width of, e.g., 1.5 in. or more.

As illustrated in the bottom view of FIG. 4B, further details may beseen between the second layer 52 and third layer 54. The second andthird layers 52, 54 may be attached or otherwise welded to one anotherto divide the support into sub-chambers which remain in fluidcommunication with one another. In this variation, a central chamber 40may be defined along a central portion of the support 14 while aperipheral chamber 42 may be formed to surround the central chamber 40.One or more barriers or boundaries 36 may be formed between the centralchamber 40 and the surrounding chamber 42 by welding or otherwiseattaching portions of the second and third layers 52, 54 to one another.The barrier or boundary 36 may be formed to follow the outer peripheryof the support 14 (e.g., having a width ranging from 2 in. to 3 in.)while also defining one or more fluid passageways 44 (e.g., having awidth of 2 in. or more) between the central chamber 40 and thesurrounding chamber 42. The fluid passageways 44 may be formed alongeach of the sides of the barrier or boundary 36 to allow for the passageof air between the central chamber 40 and surrounding chamber 42.

With the multiple layers of support as well as the use of multiplesub-chambers, the gas or liquid within the support 14 may becomedisplaced (within each of the layers) when a portion of the patient'sbody is positioned thereupon. At least some of the air in the centralchamber 40 may displace through one or more of the fluid passageways 44into the peripheral chamber 42 to one or more regions adjacent to theportion of the body and cause the sides of the support 14 (e.g., thesurrounding peripheral chamber 42 and any portions of the centralchamber 40 adjacent to the body portion) to lift up slightly relative tothe portion of the support 14 which is in contact with the body portion.Some of the oil or liquid within the secondary chamber 18 may alsodisplace away from the body portion through fluid passageways 34 butremains within the secondary chamber 18.

As the peripheral chamber 42 lifts relative to the portion of thesupport 14 which is in contact with the body portion, the displacedliquid or gas may also increase the surface area of the support 14contacting against and supporting the portion of the body resulting in acradling effect on the body portion. For example, if the patient's hipwere placed upon the support 14, the displaced air within the centralchamber 40 (and/or the oil in the secondary chamber 18) may becomedisplaced immediately below the contacted hip. The displaced liquid orgas from the central chamber 40 may flow into the adjacent peripheralchamber 42 which may rise slightly relative to the central chamber 40such that the hip becomes cradled by the support 14. Additionally, theoverall surface area of the support 14 contacting against the hip mayincrease and the support 14 may lift up not only the hip but the regionsof the patient's body adjacent to the hip.

The central chamber 40 may also have one or more barriers or boundaries38 defined along the central chamber 40 as well. Although threeboundaries 38 are shown in parallel with one another, fewer than orgreater than three boundaries 38 may be formed. Each of the barriers orboundaries 36, 38 as well as the passageways 44 may allow for fluidcommunication throughout the central chamber 40 and surrounding chamber42 in a controlled manner. Additionally, the third layer 54 may alsoincorporate a valve 46 to allow for the passage of air into the support14. The volume of the secondary chamber 18 may remain fluidlydisconnected from the remainder of the support 14 since the secondarychamber 18 may be filled with a volume of mineral oil, e.g., 0.6 liters.

Experimental Results

In determining the efficiency of the embodiments described herein,several experiments were conducted to measure the skin interface peakpressure values (mmHg) from a patient (24 year old male, 155 lbs)sitting upon various cushioning supports placed within a conventionalwheelchair. The resulting pressures generated by the patient were thenmeasured and compared as shown in the following Table 1:

TABLE 1 Measured pressure values. % Increase in Avg. Peak PressureRelative to Multi- Layered Support Having Peak Pressure (mmHg) 1.5 × 17× 19 Thick Foam on Test #1 #2 #3 Average Bottom 1 200 200 59% (Nocushon) 2 84.84 81.79 78.64 81.8 0% (Multi-layered support with 1.5 in.× 17 in. × 19 in. foam layer along bottom surface) 3 128.3 102.75 108.29113.1 28% (Gel layer with foam layers along top and bottom surfaces) 481.51 91.37 84.94 85.9 5% (Multi-layered support with 0.5 in. × 17 in. ×19 in. foam layer along bottom surface) 5 105.11 107.29 101.39 104.6 22%(Multi-layered support with 0.5 in. × 17 in. × 19 in. foam layer alongtop surface) 6 102.51 106.81 101.5 103.6 21% (Multi-layered support with0.5 in. × 17 in. × 19 in. foam along top and bottom surfaces)

FIG. 5 shows the corresponding pressure maps generated by the patientbody along each of the tested embodiments shown above in Table 1.

As shown in the Table above, tests were performed with several differentsupport configurations and multiple readings were compiled and averagedfor each support configuration. The embodiment of the multi-layeredsupport 14 having the foam layer 16 (having a thickness of 1.5 in.)positioned beneath the support 14 is shown in Test 2 which indicates a0% for a baseline pressure measurement. The peak pressure of 200 mmHgwith no cushioning support at all was measured in Test 1 correlating toa 59% increase in the average peak pressure measured relative to theembodiment of Test 2. The higher the percentage increase in measuredpeak pressure indicates a corresponding drop in the cushioning supportprovided.

Test 3 was performed utilizing a conventional Coccyx Gel/Foam Cushion(Nova Ortho-Med, Inc.) typically used in wheelchairs for comparison. Theaverage measured peak pressure correlated to a relative 28% increasewhich corresponds to a drop in cushioning support relative to theembodiment of Test 2. These results indicate that the cushioning supportprovided by the embodiment described for Test 2 provides for asignificant pressure drop and increase in cushioning support compared tono support at all and also compared to a conventional cushioningsupport.

The remaining tests were performed with a multi-layered support 14having a foam layer 16 which was relatively thinner (having a thicknessof 0.5 in. compared to a thickness of 1.5 in.) positioned relative tothe support 14. Test 4 was performed using the relatively thinner foamlayer 16 positioned similarly along a bottom surface of the support 14correlating to a relative 5% increase in average peak pressure whichcorresponds to a drop in cushioning support relative to the embodimentof Test 2.

Test 5 was performed using the relatively thinner foam layer 16positioned along a top surface of the support 14 which correlated to arelative 22% increase in average peak pressure which also corresponds toa drop in cushioning support relative to the embodiment of Test 2. Test6 was performed using the relatively thinner foam layer 16 positionedalong both a top and bottom surface of the support 14 which correlatedto a relative 21% increase in average peak pressure which alsocorresponds to a drop in cushioning support relative to the embodimentof Test 2. These test results in particular indicate the desirability ofpositioning the foam layer 16 along the bottom surface of the support 14away from the patient body so as not to dampen the supportive effects ofthe secondary chamber 18 and the overall support 14. Additionally, anincrease in the thickness of the foam layer 16 also provides for anincrease in cushioning support.

Variations of the multi-layered support described herein may be used forsupporting other regions of the body. For instance, an embodiment forsupportive use of the patient's heels may similarly utilize the samefeatures. Such a variation may be designed to have dimensions scaledappropriately for supporting a heel (e.g., 10 to 13 in. width, 28 to 35in. length, and 2 to 8 in. height) such that the support may bepositioned below the calf when the patient is lying upon a bed so thatthe heel is lifted off the surface of the bed. The heel protector canalso be designed to have an incline to give a gentle slope.

The applications of the devices and methods discussed above are notlimited to particular regions of the body such as the sacrum,trochanter, ischium, head, elbow, heel, etc. but may include any numberof further applications. Modification of the above-described device andmethods for carrying out the invention, and variations of aspects of theinvention that are obvious to those of skill in the art are intended tobe within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-layer cushion support, comprising: afirst support having a first surface and a second surface opposite tothe first surface, the first support defining a central chamber and aperipheral chamber surrounding the central chamber, wherein the firstsupport is filled with a first gas or liquid; a second support directlyattached to the first support along the first surface, wherein thesecond support is filled with a second gas or liquid which is moreviscous than the first gas or liquid and wherein the second support issized to contain a maximum volume which is less than a maximum volume ofthe first support; a first plurality of barriers formed within the firstsupport and forming a plurality of corners having gaps therebetween; asecond plurality of barriers formed within the second support, thesecond plurality of barriers extending at least partially along a lengthof the multi-layered cushioning support, each barrier of the secondplurality of barriers being spaced from each other and from peripheraledges of the second support; and the second plurality of barriers beinglocated within a periphery formed by the first plurality of barriers. 2.The support of claim 1 wherein the first gas or liquid comprises air. 3.The support of claim 1 wherein the second gas or liquid comprises oil.4. The support of claim 1 wherein the central chamber and the peripheralchamber are in fluid communication with one another via one or morepassageways.
 5. The support of claim 1 further comprising a foam layerpositioned adjacent to the second surface opposite to the secondsupport.
 6. The support of claim 5 further comprising a cover configuredto envelop the first support, second support, and the foam layer.
 7. Thesupport of claim 1 wherein an overall volume of the multi-layer cushionsupport is adjustable.
 8. A method of supporting a portion of a body,comprising: providing a multi-layer cushion support comprising a firstsupport and a second support, the first support having a first surfaceand a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the firstsupport defines a central chamber and a peripheral chamber surroundingthe central chamber, wherein the second support is attached to the firstsupport along the first contact surface, and wherein the first supportdefines a first volume which is filled with a first gas or liquid andthe second support defines a second volume which is filled with a secondgas or liquid which is more viscous than the first gas or liquid andwherein the second volume is sized to be less than the first volume,wherein the first support comprises a first plurality of barriers formedwithin the first support and also forms a plurality of corners havinggaps therebetween; wherein the second support comprises a secondplurality of barriers formed within the second support, the secondplurality of barriers extending at least partially along a length of themulti-layered cushioning support, each barrier of the second pluralityof barriers being spaced from each other and from peripheral edges ofthe second support; and wherein the second plurality of harriers arelocated within a periphery formed by the first plurality of barriers. 9.The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a foam layerpositioned adjacent to the second surface opposite to the secondsupport.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first gas or liquidcomprises air.
 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the second gas orliquid comprises oil.
 12. The method of claim 8 wherein the centralchamber and the peripheral chamber are in fluid communication with oneanother via one or more passageways.
 13. The method of claim 8 furthercomprising providing a foam layer positioned adjacent to the secondsurface opposite to the second support such that the foam layer ispositioned away from the portion of the body.
 14. The method of claim 13further comprising providing a cover configured to envelop the firstsupport, second support, and the foam layer.
 15. The method of claim 8further comprising heating or cooling the portion of the body via thesecond gas or liquid.
 16. The method of claim 8 further comprisingdisplacing the first gas or liquid to a region adjacent to the portionof the body when the portion is positioned upon the multi-layer cushionsupport.
 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising displacing thesecond gas or liquid to the adjacent region.
 18. The method of claim 8further comprising adjusting an overall volume of the multi-layercushion support.
 19. A multi-layer cushion support, comprising: a firstsupport having a first surface and a second surface opposite to thefirst surface, the first support defining a central chamber and aperipheral chamber surrounding the central chamber, wherein the firstsupport defines a first volume which is filled with air; and, a secondsupport directly attached to the first support along the first surface,wherein the second support defines a second volume which is filled withoil, wherein the second volume of oil is less than the first volume ofair; a first plurality of barriers formed within the first support andforming a plurality of corners having gaps therebetween; a secondplurality of barriers formed within the second support, the secondplurality of barriers extending at least partially along a length of themulti-layered cushioning support, each barrier of the second pluralityof barriers being spaced from each other and from peripheral edges ofthe second support; and the second plurality of barriers being locatedwithin a periphery formed by the first plurality of barriers.
 20. Thesupport of claim 19 wherein the central chamber and the peripheralchamber are in fluid communication with one another via one or morepassageways.
 21. The support of claim 19 further comprising a foam layerpositioned adjacent to the second surface opposite to the secondsupport.
 22. The support of claim 21 further comprising a coverconfigured to envelop the first support, second support, and the foamlayer.
 23. The support of claim 19 wherein an overall volume of themulti-layer cushion support is adjustable.